As the chief economist for First American Financial Corporation, Mark Fleming leads an economics team responsible for analysis, commentary and forecasting trends in the real estate and mortgage markets. As a trusted and influential voice with 20 year... Read more

As the chief economist for First American Financial Corporation, Mark Fleming leads an economics team responsible for analysis, commentary and forecasting trends in the real estate and mortgage markets. As a trusted and influential voice with 20 years of experience in the mortgage and property information business, Fleming is frequently quoted by national media outlets. Subscribe to the First American Economic Center for weekly analysis and research or follow him on Twitter at @mflemingecon.

We hear it all the time. The burden of enlightenment, student loan debt, is preventing people from becoming homeowners. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Castro, at a recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) event, claimed that student loan debt is the main obstacle preventing millennials from buying a home.